Federal shutdown cancels naturalization ceremony at Chávez National Monument
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Shutdown cancel Chávez National Monument naturalization ceremony.
- USCIS rescheduled affected applicants to Fresno field office, timing unclear.
- USCIS warns ceremonies, interviews and responses may face delays.
A special naturalization ceremony at César E. Chávez National Monument in Kern County was canceled last week due to the federal government shutdown.
It is unclear how many Central Valley immigrants were impacted by the cancellation of Friday’s naturalization oath ceremony in Keene, a census-designated place in Kern County.
The government shutdown began Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill ahead of its deadline.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, applicants who were supposed to be naturalized at the Chávez National Monument have been rescheduled to take the Oath of Allegiance at the USCIS Fresno Field Office.
The field office, located at 744 P St., Suite 120 in downtown, serves Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Stanislaus and Tulare counties.
It is not clear how soon those applicants will take the oath. Immigrants who are granted U.S. citizenship are not U.S. citizens until after they take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony.
Last month, about 70 or so Central Valley immigrants took the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony at Yosemite National Park. The special ceremony took place amid a federal deportation crackdown.
The Cesar Chávez National Monument, the former headquarters of the United Farm Workers union, hosts special naturalization ceremonies twice a year, typically around March 31, coinciding with National Cesar Chávez Day and around October 8, the anniversary of the monument designation as a national historic site in 2012.
The events are held in partnership with the National Park Service and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the National Chávez Center.
“It’s something that we look forward to every single year, welcoming new citizens,” said Andres Chávez, executive director of the National Chávez Center. “I think once this government opens back up, we’ll be looking at rescheduling the next naturalization ceremony.”
Chávez, who was going to be present at the ceremony, said they received word of the cancellation on Oct. 3. He said about 30 to 50 people become new citizens at the monument’s ceremonies.
The monument’s visitor center will be closed during the government shutdown. The Memorial Garden, Garden of the Southwest and the gravesites Chávez and his wife, Helen Chávez, are buried remain accessible, but no restrooms are available.
All USCIS offices remain open, with delays expected during the federal government shutdown. USCIS primarily gets its funding from fees paid by applicants and petitioners for immigration and naturalization benefits to cover most of its operations. It also receives federal appropriations to cover budget shortfalls.
